By Carla Zanoni
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
UPPER MANHATTAN — In light of community complaints of insufficient police officers in Upper Manhattan, the 34th Precinct Community Council recommended the NYPD keep the 60 extra police officers it deployed to the precinct in late October — and expand the enforcement to Inwood.
"Just by the amount of emails we get and comments at our meetings, we know there is a desire for more enforcement in our community," said George Espinal, president of the Council.
The Council reported a rise in complaints regarding insufficient police officers able to respond to 911 and 311 calls from "residents, business owners, civic leaders and religious institutions," according to the resolution passed Wednesday night.
"This year has been a good year and I hope we continue to see an overall reduction in crime," said 34th Precinct Captain Jose Navarro during the Wednesday meeting. "But it’s going to be difficult next year, the city is experiencing a difficult fiscal time. We no longer have the manpower we once did."
Citing a drop in reported crime due to the work of the "Impact Response Team," made up of 60 extra officers assigned to Washington Heights, the Council asked that the team remain in the 34th Precinct until at least February 2011.
In addition, the board recommended that the team be deployed to sections of Inwood, north of Dyckman Street, "in areas where recent car break-ins, muggings and other serious rime have taken place in the past 60 days."
The approved resolution will next be reviewed by Navarro of the 34th Precinct before it is ultimately approved or denied by Chief Bill Morris of Patrol Borough Manhattan North, who controls which officers report where in Upper Manhattan. The extra officers are not pulled off the streets of other precincts, but taken from other projects where they are not immediately needed, officials said.
Inwood resident Clarissa Montagna, 36, said she was optimistic that the Council’s request might mean more police officers in Inwood.
"This is such a great place to live," she said, "but there is always a little worry in the back of my head that the neighborhood can go back to the way it was 15 or 20 years ago."
